Ninja of the Leaf
by Warlord1096
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto is just another ninja of Konoha, trying to survive his time in service with nothing but his guts and his kunai to back him up. It's hard when he possesses no special ability, has no legendary bloodline, and the seal on his stomach locks the nine-tailed demon and its abilities away completely. He doesn't know about that last bit, though. Highly AU, very slow updates.
1. Initiation 1: Squad Orphan-2

**Disclaimer: The Naruto manga and any related franchises are properties of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not claim any ownership of the material. This is a non-profit work of fanfiction written for the sake of entertainment only.**

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue: Squad Orphan-2<strong>

A raised fist. A silent command.

Halt.

Four dark figures appeared on the tops of lantern posts and the edges of terraces, melting out of the darkness like shadowy messengers from the underworld itself. Against the backdrop of a fully waxed moon, they conducted furious conversation with nothing but handsigns.

Arrival. Target inside. Gamma?

A pause.

Asleep. No hostiles in sight.

Perfect. Set up perimeter.

Two of their number vanished immediately, moving acknowledging the command of their leader. Co-ordinating with speed born from hours spent together learning the trade of their kind, they set up viewing points at different angles from the target's house, on the lookout for the slightest deviation from their plan.

Alpha turned his attention to the final member of his squad. Electric blue eyes were fixed on him, the slight creasing of his eyebrows betraying the emotions that his facemask sought to hide.

Nervous?

A shake of the head. Alpha didn't bother to call him out on the lie.

Gear?

A thumbs up.

Move in.

Blue eyes was off in a flash, pushing himself off the railing and vaulting himself neatly through the window on the third floor. Kobayashi Kosuke slept on like all the other people in the inn, unaware that his death had just slipped into the room and was currently attached to the ceiling.

The small ninja crawled above the bed like an overgrown arachnid, carefully running his eyes over the room. The special energy that every member of his profession possessed crept through his veins and out through the tips of his fingers and toes, sticking him to the sloping roof against gravity's fruitless pull.

Reaching into the small pouch on his thigh, he pulled out a spool of dark thread. Slowly, he took his other hand off the wood, until he was hanging upside down. Blood rushed to his head, but he took his time to unroll the thread until it was hanging just above Kosuke's open mouth.

The thread shivered with the gentle breeze from the window, and the ninja spent a long moment staring at the supine figure. He thumbed a tiny vial hidden in the same pouch he'd withdrawn the thread from, playing with the cork with his thumb. His wrist twitched, inching the thread up –

There was a small rushing sound from outside, like the sound of wind through the trees. Kosuke grunted, but didn't wake up. The intruder stiffened, reminded of his fellow ninja outside.

Blue eyes blinked once before glaring back down with renewed determination. He pulled out the vial and eased the cork open, tilting the contents down its length. His hand shook ever so slightly, but he steeled himself.

Small black drops percolated down the line and dropped off the edge, landing neatly in the sleeping man's mouth. Kosuke shifted and mumbled incoherently in his sleep. His mouth opened and closed as his tongue worked inside, lapping up the liquid without knowing what it was.

Satisfied, the ninja quickly reeled the hanging thread back in, his gloves protecting him from contamination. It didn't matter, though, since he'd taken it in small doses himself until he'd become immune.

When he was done, he crept out the same way he had entered, without bothering to spare a glance for the man on the bed whose life was now numbered in minutes.

His squad fell into step behind him as they raced away from the crime scene, leaping and weaving through the shadows. They hid from every lookout even as they hurtled past watchtowers and patrols, unnoticed even as they scaled the walls above the heads of the guards.

Civilization gave way to the thick forestry of Fire Country, filled with trees standing tall and blotting out the moonlight with their thick heads of leaves. They charted a straight course through the branches, boosting themselves with chakra until they were little more than blurs. The leaves rustled and shook around them as they passed, but they were already gone when the occasional animal looked up at the sound. Blue eyes trailed slightly behind the group, his eyes not really seeing the flora in his path.

Alpha pulled them to a stop when they reached a designated clearing. The ground here was painted with invisible glyphs, called seals in their profession, which would activate and form invisible protections around them with a special sequence of hand signs and some chakra. The captain proceeded to do just that as his team went about setting up camp and getting a fire going.

When the flames were crackling merrily and the last of his tents had been set up, they convened at the center. Exchanging small looks, they reached back and pulled off their masks and bandannas as one, exposing their features to the world.

Uzumaki Naruto took a grateful breath of the cool night air, enjoying the feel of the wind against his entire face.

"You hesitated." His moment of enjoyment was cut short by Alpha's deep voice. "Gamma reported everything to me as it happened."

Naruto threw an accusing on the sole female member of their team, who had just let loose her long, dark hair and was shaking her head from side to side. Hyuuga Hotaru, who'd witnessed his moment of doubt by dint of the bloodline limit of her clan, appeared wholly unconcerned and even amused by his indignation.

"Can't have the rookie going cold on us, can we?" Beta, who went by Nishimura Toru, had rubbed him the wrong way ever since the team had taken him on from preliminary training. "How's he going to keep up if he stutters on the first kill?"

Alpha's eyes flickered to his second-in-command, but he didn't agree outright with the large boy. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Naruto, and waited silently for an explanation.

Naruto found he didn't have one. He looked back into Alpha's golden eyes, which had earned him the name of Kohaku, and hated the disappointment he found there.

Alpha had taken a special interest in him eight months into the reserve ninja camp, even pulled him from basic several times to run simulations with his team. He was the only one who didn't laugh nowadays when Naruto repeated his dream of being a kickass ninja, even after he'd washed out of the genin program and ended up with the reserves.

Right now, as he met Kohaku's expectant look with nothing but empty excuses which lodged halfway in his throat, Naruto felt like his dream was crumbling within his fist. How could he explain the horror he'd experienced, looking down at the innocent civilian's face, when it was explicitly stated in the ninja guidebook that no nin was to back down in the face of death?

"Oh, get it over with, boys," Hotaru's voice broke the silence stretching between the two of them. "You've had your fun. Just hand him the headband and welcome him to the team."

Naruto started, and Toru scowled and chucked a clod of dirt Hotaru's way. Kohaku chuckled, and the tension between the group was broken at once. Hope bubbled up within Naruto, but he forced himself not to rejoice just yet –

Metal glinted in the firelight as it flew through the air, loose cotton bands trailing in its wake. For one glorious second, the Konoha leaf symbol shone resplendently in the firelight, and then Naruto had grasped it firmly in his hand.

"We all hesitate the first time," Kohaku told him, as Naruto tied the black strips behind his head. "It's all right to feel bad." The cotton fell into a solid knot at the back of his head, and he felt the familiar weight for the first time since his disastrous jounin test. "But this is your life now. This is who we are. Born of the shadow, children of dead parents, castaways of society. Can you rise past it and stand with us?"

He held out his fist, and Naruto examined the metal plates on his knuckles for a moment. Then he grinned shakily and placed his own against it.

Kohaku nodded. "Welcome to Squad O-2, Delta."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I'm tired of reading stories about ninja with everybody and their pet dog (literally) blowing up small towns and gaining insane powerups. So I went back to the very first chapters of Naruto and gained the inspiration to write a story about a group of misfits who relied on their wits and guts to take on the world. The Naruto here has no bloodline, no excessive yang chakra, no vitality and healing, only a seal that seals the Kyuubi away <em>completely.<em> He's basically a normal ninja with nothing but some potent chakra. That's it. And yes, Naruto doesn't dream of becoming Hokage. Yet.**

**Updates will be glacially slow. **

**Merry Christmas! ^_^ Leave a review on your way out!**


	2. Initiation 2: Jaded

_Chapter 2: Jaded_

* * *

><p>"The Hokage will see you now." As usual, the assistant in the lounge was doing her best to avoid meeting Naruto's eyes. "Please note the time of your entry and exit."<p>

"Yeah, yeah," Toru waved her off loosely, "you'll know we've left when we set off the exploding tags - "

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at her outraged gasp. He may not have liked his superior very much, but even he could admit that the boy had a special talent when it came to irritating people.

"That's – it's not something you should joke about, genin-san!"

Kohaku rolled his eyes, used to Toru's antics by now. Without bothering to apologize, he led his team through the polished doors and into the circular room, taking a minute to appreciate the view of the Hokage Mountain as he entered.

"Ah, Team O-2. Back from your mission, I see." Naruto proudly adjusted his headband so the sunlight glinted off it. "And it seems it was a success. Congratulations, Genin Uzumaki. Be sure to submit your report within 72 hours. For now, I assume there were no difficulties?"

Naruto was just about to launch into an epic retelling of his first true mission, but Kohaku beat him to it. "None, sir. It was smooth going from start to finish."

"Good, good." The Hokage paused to shuffle a few papers on his desk. Pulling out the ones he needed, he handed them over to Kohaku. "I believe you'll want to register a full squad then? Turn in the paperwork to Ebisu on the third floor after you're done filling in the details. He'll hand you the supply package and measure you all for uniforms."

Kohaku nodded, running a quick eye over the documents to make sure he had everything required. Recognizing the end of the conversation, he turned to herd his team out of the room.

The Hokage coughed softly. "Uzumaki...Naruto, if you could stay behind for a moment?" If the members of O-2 were surprised, they didn't show it. Naruto shrugged, and resumed leaning next to the window as his team shuffled out.

Hotaru shut the door behind her with a smile at him, but he could only dredge up a farewell grimace. He might not have been the sharpest boy of his age, but he had a feeling he knew where this conversation would lead. He'd had it before.

"You are set, then?" Old man Hokage's voice was as flat as ever, masking all the disappointment Naruto knew was lurking just below the surface. "This is the path you have committed yourself to?"

"That's right, Hokage-sama," Naruto was careful to use the proper term of respect.

Sarutobi scowled in reply. "Don't call me that when we're alone, boy. And stop slouching over there and take a seat."

"I don't slouch," Naruto retorted, but did as he was told. The Hokage surveyed him for a moment over steepled fingers, before he sighed.

"Naruto...don't be mistaken, I'm very proud of you for how far you've come. But if you would just consider my offer –"

"Save it, gramps. I'm not going back to the academy. I worked my ass off at the Shinobi Training Centre, and I'm damned proud even if I ended up a reserve!"

"It's not like that..." the Hokage tried to say, but Naruto scoffed.

"It's exactly like that, old man! I don't care if I'm not taught by a jonin-sensei, the last one I met was a massive dick anyway!"

"Language," Sarutobi chided, even though there was no heat behind it. "You'd progress much farther in your career if you were apprenticed, my child. Who knows, you might even end up in my seat one day?"

"I'm not deserting my team," Naruto crossed his arms defiantly. "Kohaku trained me for months better than any teacher ever did, and he built the team around our combination moves. He trained us for teamwork, instead of expecting anybody else to _not_ hate me and work together without complaining!"

Sarutobi winced a bit at the not-so-subtle jab at his jounin test. "The bell test is an old tradition of Konoha, my boy. I myself took the test when I was a genin."

"It's not about that, and you know it." His voice took on a pleading tone. "Why won't you tell me, gramps? I've asked you time and again – it doesn't matter if I'm genin or hokage, for some reason everybody in the village hates me, and you never tell me why!"

"Hate is a very strong word, Naruto. The villagers hold a certain degree of animosity towards you, I won't deny it –"

"Stop using big words to confuse me!" ANBU immediately appeared out of nowhere to surround him in case he lashed out, but didn't move to attack him. "You never tell me what it is that I've done, but I'm the one who has to deal with their anger! And now that I've finally found some people who accept me, you want me to ditch them and go back to the stupid Academy instead?!"

"Naruto, calm down!" The boy had jumped out of his chair and was already at the exit of the room. Sarutobi panicked, because he was nowhere ready to end the conversation just yet.

"Like hell I will! I'm done here, gramps, and you can call me back when you're ready to tell me the truth!" With that parting shot, Naruto flung open the door and marched out of the room, making sure to slam it with all his strength as he left. A picture promptly fell off the wall and cracked with the tinkling sound of breaking glass.

"Leave it." The ANBU backed off at his command, and the Hokage wearily bent over to retrieve the fallen painting. Brushing off the chipped shards, he smiled bitterly at the sight of blonde hair and blue eyes, and wondered how he'd managed to end up alienating Minato's son so badly.

From a corner of the Hokage's office, the ANBU Hound tracked Naruto's progress away from the Tower and wondered the same thing.

* * *

><p>"So," Toru sidled up next to him in the middle of their ninjato training classes. "What'd the geezer want with you, greenhorn?"<p>

Naruto quietly finished his set of exercises, marvelling at the light glinting off the edges of his new sword. All reserves were given a set of equipment and full access to the Shinobi Training Centre, where retired or off-duty jounin would hold classes every day to train up their juniors.

"Nothing," he finally said, as he sheathed his sword, marking the end of the drill. He was at the beginner's lesson, but even so, the instructor had pulled him to the side and shown him a couple of basic exercises to master before he'd be ready to join the class. "Wanted to put me back in to the academy so I could get apprenticed."

Toru whistled, moving over to adjust Naruto's sword as he started the drill again. "He's being quite persistent about this. You sure you don't got a bloodline?"

"Positive," Naruto replied. "Doesn't matter either way, because I'm not deserting O-2."

"That's good. Better here than there, anyway. Six more years and I'm out, yeah?"

Naruto was so surprised that he almost dropped his weapon. The 'six and slip', as it was referred to amongst the reserves, was the shinobi code that stated that ninja who'd performed the mandatory six years of field service could apply for administration or business posts in and out of Konoha.

For many of the orphans like him and Toru, the only way for them to survive when they were young was to join the shinobi corps. Those who survived their six years and made it out considered themselves lucky. Even though they could be called up for active duty anytime, if they played their cards right and knew the right people, they could live the rest of their lives without fighting again.

Naruto supposed that was what made Konoha so dangerous. While places like Kumo and Iwa had strict military policies, in Konoha, nobody knew just who their fellow citizen was. The man who sold you oranges that morning, or planted fields in the crop, could just as easily sneak up behind you and stick you through the eye with a kunai.

Jounin apprentices, however, rarely had this option. The village invested too much in them for them to up and leave as they wanted. Neither did those who came from prominent clans, since they were slaves of tradition more than anything else. Ironically, none of these subjects were touched upon in the Academy, another one of Konoha's little dark practices that he'd become aware of only after failing his jounin test and taking up the training centre.

"Six?" Naruto questioned, surprised. The rest of O-2 had already been reserves for a year, Kohaku for 18 months – it was why he'd been allowed to form a team of his own. "Haven't you already done a year?"

Toru chuckled. "Sempai's rules. It doesn't matter who joined when, the squad leaves together."

Naruto felt a rush of warmth flow through his chest. "You – you're serious?"

"I wish I was joking, greenhorn. I'm going to be stuck duking it out for an extra year for your sake." Naruto 'slipped' and slashed the ninjato a bit too close to Toru's eye. "Oi! You stupid brat, watch what you're doing!"

Naruto grinned. "Sorry, _sempai._ I guess I have a long way to go."

"That you do." It was Naruto's turn to squawk and flail about in shock. Kohaku had managed to sneak up on him without looking. The elder genin was drenched in sweat, having just finished with his intermediate sessions. "But since you're working so industriously, Naruto, why don't I work with you for a bit?"

By the time Kohaku had finished with him, Naruto was aching all over and covered by tens of tiny, stinging cuts. Even so, he found it difficult to get over the fact that his squad would go to the lengths it had to come together as a team. It was in sharp contrast to the scarecrow bastard, who'd thrown him together with two of his worst bullies in the academy and expected him to work with them.

Naruto stumbled out of the centre with a wave to his two superiors, already thinking of the jar of medicinal cream sitting on his bathroom shelf. He ignored the hushed muttering and stares as he walked through the streets, having grown used to them over the years.

He made a stop at the convenience store to buy some cup ramen, to bolster his fading stocks. His happy debate over flavours was disturbed, though, by the appearance of another team of ninja.

"Yosh! And if I cannot find the chicken ramen within ten seconds, I will do the rest of the shopping while walking on my little finger!"

Naruto squeezed the cup in his hand so hard that it bent out of shape, breaking the seal on top. He cursed, chucking it into his cart, his decision taken out of his hand.

The ninja Rock Lee came rushing down the aisle, howling to the ceiling about the fires of youth.

"Do you mind?" Lee froze, realizing that he'd almost bowled over the short genin browsing the ramen.

"Ah, sorry, ninja-san! I will do five hundred pushups to atone –"

"Can it, Lee." Naruto was tired, aching, and not in the mood for this. "Let me get my stuff and leave."

"N- Naruto?" The two of them had been classmates together in the Academy. Naruto had even liked him, all the way up until he'd learned the intricacies of Konoha teams in the Shinobi Training Centre. Lee's spot was Naruto's by rights – his poor test scores and genjutsu skills should have placed him in the bottom of the class, on a team with the top two students. Instead, Lee, who should never even have been accepted into the Academy, was sponsored by a Konoha jounin –

"Lee! You have failed three times today! Get ready to face your punishment!" Maito Gai flickered into view, his prominent eyebrows bunching together over narrowed eyes. If there was another senior Naruto disliked as much as Hatake Kakashi, it would be the spandex clad nin. His reasoning for taking Lee, who had failed all but three of his tests, was that the boy was a hard worker.

Every orphan Naruto knew of, from himself to his peers at the centre, could claim the same thing. Being a ninja was the only way for most of them to survive, without tradesmen to apprentice to or families to learn from.

Naruto gathered his stuff and left quickly before the silence could get any more awkward. He only smiled after he left the store. He'd cleaned out the entire chicken ramen stock. It wasn't revenge, but it didn't feel too bad, either.

His home, when he finally returned to it, was as empty as it had been for his entire childhood. He'd long since given up the practice of announcing his return to his beloved houseplant, but sometimes it still irked him to return to nothing but silence and loneliness.

He shucked off his clothes and carefully placed his sword on the counter, jumping into the shower and enjoying the feel of cold water – the hot water had been out for over three years, and he'd learned to enjoy what he had.

As always, his gaze was captured by the giant poster on the wall next to his bed when he walked in to find some fresh clothes. It was a picture of a small fishing village on the coast of Fire Country, something he'd won after religiously saving up stickers from his ramen cups and mailing them to the company. He admired the oceanic vista as he pulled a t-shirt over his head, and quickly grabbed his ink and brush to work on his tags. He wasn't the best at making seals, but it was cheaper than buying them from the shops.

He looked down at the implements in his hand and then up at the sight of the vast blue body lapping at golden sands. Something about the ocean had always captured his imagination from the first moment he'd set his eyes on it – he could only imagine what the real thing would be like.

He forgot about nightmares about his first kill, forgot about his anger at the system, forgot about the myriad of cuts on his body. Instead, he imagined sunshine on his head, cold water lapping his toes, and the smell of salt in his nose.

"Six years," Naruto told himself.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>In the manga, Naruto's hated because he has the seal - the civilians don't know whether it leaks chakra or not. Nothing changes here. He doesn't meet Iruka, though.

Have a great new year :)


End file.
